Table 1. Sample Characteristics and Neurosteroid Levels.
| Placebo (n=15) | DHEA (n=14) | t/χ2 | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (Mean±SD) | 23±3.0 | 22±4.2 | 1.11 | 0.28 |
| Race | 3A, 3AA, 9C | 6A, 8C | 4.03 | 0.13 |
| Digit span | ||||
| Baseline | 19.6±3.9 | 20.1±4.6 | 0.30 | 0.77 |
| Change | 1.1±2.4 | 0.57±2.6 | 0.60 | 0.55 |
| Trail-making test | ||||
| Baseline | 51.4±15.7 | 46.9±10.1 | 0.91 | 0.37 |
| Change | −7.4±11.5 | −7.6±5.5 | 0.07 | 0.95 |
| State trait anxiety inventory | ||||
| State | 31.7±7.3 | 31.7±5.0 | 0.01 | 0.99 |
| Trait | 30.5±7.5 | 32.0±7.9 | 0.51 | 0.61 |
| PANAS-X-negative affect | 1.4±0.34 | 1.2±0.14 | 1.9 | 0.07 |
| Drug effects questionnaire | 1.9±0.66 | 2.5±2.8 | 0.83 | 0.41 |
| Steroid (Mean±SD) | Baseline | Endpoint | Baseline | Endpoint | t | p |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHEA (serum; ng/ml) | 28.89±17.24 | 25.57±12.52 | 24.07±13.96 | 80.60±57.72 | 3.90* | 0.001 |
| DHEAS (serum; μg/dl) | 286.80±136.91 | 313.23±157.76 | 284.04±105.62 | 1286.68±481.16 | 8.03 | <0.001 |
| DHEAS (saliva; ng/dl) | 545.84±486.24 | 488.57±303.95 | 755.61±1129.57 | 2700.13±2410.97 | 3.91 | 0.001 |
| Androsterone (serum; pg/ml) | 465.50±204.84 | 427.88±189.73 | 487.76±152.84 | 2056.97±1455.36 | 4.24 | <0.001 |
| Cortisol (serum; μg/dl) | 12.79±4.20 | 9.24±2.66 | 12.91±4.19 | 8.60±3.48 | 0.48 | 0.64 |
| Cortisol (saliva; μg/dl) | 0.56±0.24 | 0.42±0.34 | 0.53±0.24 | 0.34±0.13 | 0.49 | 0.63 |
Abbreviations: A, Asian; AA, African-American; C, Caucasian; PANAS-X, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule - Expanded Form; VAS, Visual Analogue Scale.
Change=endpoint minus baseline.
*t-tests were conducted on change scores (steroid levels at endpoint minus steroid levels at baseline).